Apparatus for making hollow balls



- Nov. 111 924.

1,514,809 W. J. WISCH APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLLOW BALLS Filed Dec. 22,1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W222? 17, n isch, IV/T/VESSH w. J. wlscH IAPPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLLOW BALLS Filed Dec. 22, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Nov. 11, 1924.

W. J. WISCH APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLLOW BALLS 3 sheets-Shem 5 Filed-Dec. 22, 1920 I Java/M13 2,

W/r/wsssM Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UNHTED STATEfi WALTER J. WISGH, QF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING HOLLOW BALLS.

Application filed December 22, 1920. Serial No. 432,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that WALTER J. l/Vrsorr, a citizen of the United States,residing in Baltimore city, State of Maryland, has in- 6 vented certainnew and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Making Hollow Balls, ofwhich the following is a specification. j

My invention relates to apparatus adapted for working hollow metal ballblanks by combined hammering and rolling.

I have found that suitable hollow blanks may be treated by a combinedrolling and hammering process with improved results,

particularly in the economical production of completed hollow balls withtrue surface, wall of uniform thickness, and with the opening containedby the blank very uniformly and homogeneously closed, and

2 with other advantages sufficiently explained hereinafter.

The combined rolling and hammering operation may be performed indifferent ways, three representative ways consisting in (1) providingblanks having a more or less elongated or ovoid form, and rolling theseblanks in suitable grooves formed in opposed plates, with suitablepressure, the ovoid shape of the blanks causing them to assumeconstantly changing positions, and to be bumped or hammered in thegrooves as they are rolled, to reduce them to spherical form, andotherwise finish them as sufficiently explained hereafter; (2) providingspherical blanks, or, when ovoid blanks are provided, and the irregularshape of the blanks themselves is not considered suflicient to providefor proper hammering action, and rolling the blanks in a channelconsisting of grooves formed in opposed plates, with suitable pressureapplied to the plates, and with at least one of'the grooves beingprovided with irregularities so that'as the balls are rolled they aresimultaneously hammered or bumped by the irregularities of the groove;(3) rolling the blanks in smooth grooves, with suitable pressure asbefore, and at intervals imparting impulses to one plate, urging ittoward the other, with sufficient force and abruptness to produce ahammering effect upon the balls as they are rolled. The foregoing areconsidered to be suflicient examples of the method of treating theballs, in a broad sense, and mechanisms are here shown for carrying outthe method in any of the ways mentioned. After considering theseexemplifications, persons skilled in the art will understand that themechanisms ;may be varied within the principles of the invention, and Ido not limit myself to details except as claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a representative formof machine, some partsbeing shown in section. I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modified form of rolling plate.

Fig. 3 is a sectlon of a pair of such plates in operative relation. 7

Fig. 4; is a plan view of a straight rolling plate.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of a pair of such plates in operativerelation.

Fig. 6 is a section of a ball blank of one suitable form for treatmentin the present apparatus, and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are sections of the blank in successive stages ofthis treatment in the apparatus, Fig. 9 showing one form of completedball."

In another application Serial Number 132,4.66, filed Dec. 22, 1920 Ihave described and illustrated more fully the process of treating balls,which is carried out by; the presentapparatus, and reference to thatapplication is made for a complete understanding of the process,especially the preparation of suitable blanks, and the particular mannerin which the blanks are worked in carrying out the process. The processwill be mentioned herein only sufficiently to enable the structure, andthe operation of the apparatus to be sufficiently understood.

Referring first to Fig. 1, a complete machine in one representative formcomprises uprights 1, which may conveniently be round columns, and whichmay be clamped in bases or feet 2 resting on any suitable foundation.The upper ends of the columns are screwed into top piece 3, whichcarries bearings 4: and 5. The drive shaft 6 is supported in bearing 4,and has fast and loose pulleys 7 8 for driving the machine, or any othersuitable driving arrangement may be provided. A vertical shaft 9 islocated in bearing 5, suitable clearance being provided between theshaft and the bearing, as shown. The shaft is driven from shaft 6 bypinion 10 and gear 11. The thru of gear 11 may be taken up by llU a ballthrust bearing 12. Below frame member 3 is located the revoluble rollingplate 13. A ball thrust bearing 13 may be provided between plate 13 andtransverse frame member 3. The plate 13 has a central transverse socket14 in which engages a head 15 formed on the lower end of shaft 9, andsufficient clearance is provided between the head and the socket for aslight vertical reciprocation of the plate. Fixed rolling plate 16 islocated below plate 13, and is bolted to a cross member 17 havingsleeves 18 movably mounted on columns 1. The cross piece is supported,for the vertical adjustment of the fixed plate, by a thrust bearing 19upon the upper end of a screw 20. This screw engages in sleeve 21 offrame cross piece 22 mounted on the columns. A hand wheel 23 is keyed tothe lower end of the screw shaft.

The rolling plates provide between them at least one annular channel Ccomposed of a groove g of approximately semi-circular cross-sectionplate 13, and a groove 9 of approximately semi-circular cross-section inplate 16. The grooves are so cut in the plates, or the plates are sosurfaced off that a clearance remains between the plates when the platesare nearest together, sulficient to make the vertical dimension throughthe center channel 0 to the bottoms of g and g respectively, equal tothe diameter of the ball when its treatment in this channel iscompleted. The grooves are usually relieved at the sides by bevels 25which in effect take off the corners of the grooves, and preventcramping of the balls at the sides of the grooves.

When ball blanks of, elongated 0r ovoid form are placed in the grooves,the machine adjusted, and rolling performed as more particularlydescribed hereafter, in many cases sufficient hammering of the blanks isaccomplished by the elongated shape of the blanks themselves, since theblanks are continually presented to the grooves in different positionsas they revolve, and when the elongated portions are directed nearlyvertioally, the blanks are hammered and compressed into proper form, atthe same time that they are rolled. The clearance in bearing 5 permitsshaft 9 to have a certain degree of lateral movement, and this in turnpermits the movable rolling plate to move laterally to a slight extentin any direction, and thus the grooves are accommodated properly to themomentary position of the irregularly shaped blanks. In cases where theelongation of the blanks is not considered sufiicient to provide for thenecessary amount of hammering, or where it is desired touse sphericalblanks, other or additional means for accomplishing the hammering actionare provided.

One form of such hammering mechanism,

as shown in Fig. 1, consists in providing the top of plate 13 with anannular cam surface 30 consisting of alternate humps 31 and hollows 32,the height of the humps being considerably exaggerated in the drawing.The cam surface is engaged by a series of cam rolls 33, equally spacedabout the center of shaft 9, and mounted on bearing'pins 34 in crosspiece 3.

The machine is loaded by turning hand wheel 23 to lower plate 16; anumber of suitable blanks, such for instance as the blank 13 shown inFig. 6, or spherical blanks, are placed in grooves g and the hand wheelis then rotated to bring the fixed plate up in proximity with rotatableplate 13, and to exert the desired amount of pressure upon the blanks.Driving connectionis then made to shaft 6, and shaft 9 is rotated by thegears, rotating plate 13 and causing cam rolls 33 cooperating withcamsurfacc 30 to apply intermittent hammer blows to plate 13, and theseblows are transmitted to the ball blanks as they are rolled in thegrooves. It will be noted that the hammering movement is at right anglesto the rotation of'the plate. By this treatment the balls are brought touniform diameter, the walls are reduced to uniform thickness throughout,and the holes H of thevblanks are very uniformly and homogeneouslyclosed. The blank in its treatment in the grooves goes through thechanges indicated in Figures 7, 8 and 9, as more fully explained in mymethod application above referred to.

When it is considered unnecessary to provide for positive hammering bymeans of a cam mechanism described, the cam action can be eliminated bysimply removing the cam rolls 33 and the machine may then be used aspreviously described in rolling ovoid blanks with a combined rolling andhammering effect obtained from the shape of the blanks themselves.

The plates 13, 16 may be provided with an additional rolling channel Cconsisting of grooves g g and these grooves may be of smaller radius(calculated from the center is) than the radius of grooves g The ballsafter rolling in channel C may be finished, that is, rolled to a smallerdiameter and the closure of the opening completed, in channel C and withthe arrangement of part shown in Fig. 1, this final treatment will be acombinedrolling and hammering; but if desired, the final treatment maybe merely a simple rolling, and this may be provided for by removing thecam rolls 33 or by otherwise arranging or adjusting the machine.

Figures 2 and 3 show rolling plates adapted for another method ofcombined rolling and hammering. In this arrange ment, circular plates 40and 41 are provided with annular channels CT", C of which channel C maybe arranged for combined rolling and hammering of the balls, and channelC may be arranged for a simple rolling for finishing the balls, or thisarrangement may be reversed. Or, in some cases, both channels may bearranged for combined rolling and hammering. Channel C is composed ofgroove g in plate 40, and groove in plate 41. One of the grooves, forinstance 9 is provided at intervals with depressions 42, which may be,to give one example, of a form equivalent to depressions which would beproduced by embedding somewhat in the surface of the groove a spherehaving a slightly larger radius than that of the groove. The depth ofthe depression is somewhat exaggerated in the drawing. The other groovemay in some cases also be provided with depressions of a similarcharacter, although as a rule one groove is smooth, and the otherprovided with depressions or irregularities. These plates may beinserted in such a machine as the one shown in Fig. 1, with the omissionof cam rolls 33, or in any other suitable rolling machine, and when thechannel is filled with a suitable number of ball blanks, and the platesare rotated in relation to each other with suitable pressure, the ballsare alternately rolled by the smooth parts of the channel, and hammeredby encountering the edges of the depressions, thus giving the balls ineffect a combined rolling and hammering treatment to render theirdiameter and wall-thickness uniform, and close the opening, as morefully described in the process application above identified. The channelC may be a smooth finishing chan nel, consisting of smooth grooves g 9with depth calculated on a radius from the center 73 slightly less thanthe radius of the grooves of channel C or in some cases one or both ofthe grooves of channel C may be provided with irregularities ordepressions, so that the final treatment of the balls will be bycombined rolling and hammering.

Figures 41 and 5 show a modification in which the rolling plates 50 and51 are straight, and provided with straight channels C and C which aresubstantially equivalent to the channels C and G respectively of Figures2 and 3, except that they are straight instead of annular.

;The channel C consists of grooves g, and 9 and at least one of thegrooves, for

instance 9 is provided with depressions 52, and channel O consists ofgrooves g, anc 9 both of which may be smooth. The treatment of the ballblanks in the two grooves is substantially the same as in the case ofthe circular plates. The straight plates may be reciprocated relativelyby any suitable mechanism while pressure is applied by any suitablemeans.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for treating ball blanks or the like, means forsimultaneously rolling and hammering the blanks at right angles to thepath of rolling movement.

2. An apparatus for treating ball blanks or the like, comprising meansfor rolling the blanks, and intermittently pounding them at right anglesto the path of rolling movement.

3. An appliance for treating hollow ball blanks or the like, comprisingtwo platesprovided with a channel consisting of confronting grooves onthe adjacent faces of the plates, and means for intermittently andabruptly applyingincreased pressure to the blanks at right angles to thepath of rolling movement as they are rolled in the channel.

4. In a machine for treating hollow ball blanks, the combination of twoplates having grooves in their adjacent faces constituting a channel,means for urging the plates together to apply pressure to blanks locatedin the channel, means for moving one plate in relation to the other toroll the blanks, and means for intermittently and abruptly applyingincreased pressure to the blanks at right angles to the path of rollingmovement as they are rolled.

5. In a machine for treating hollow ball blanks, the combination of twoplates having confronting grooves in their adjacent faces constituting achannel to receive the blanks, means for rotating one of the plates inrelation to the other, means for applying pressure to blanks located inthe channel as they are rolled, and means for hammering the blanks atright angles to the path of rolling movement during rolling.

6. In a machine for treating hollow ball blanks, the combination of tworolling plates having confronting grooves to receive ovoid ball blanksto be rolled, and means for rotating one of the plates in relation tothe other, said means comp-rising a drive shaft engaging the plate and abearing for the shaft having considerable clearance to permit lateralmovement of the shaft and plate to conform to the position of theblanks.

7. In a machine for treating hollow ball blanks, the combination of tworolling plates having confronting grooves forming a channel to receivethe blanks, means for rotating one of the plates in relation to theother, and cam mechanism for applying to the l rotating plate a seriesof abrupt, increasedpressure impulses, which are conveyed through theplate to the blanks to hammer them as they are rolled.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WALTER J. WISCH.

